Thursday, July 26, 2012

Lingua Fungi is a solo ambient / drone project from Jaakko Padatsu of Oulu, Finland, who is also one half of Asio Otus. There have been two full length Lingua Fungi CDs so far, as well as a split with Shrine (Bulgaria) and a collaboration with Alio Die (Italy).

Vigil for the Snail Lovers was recorded in 2009 and is arguably Padatsu's bleakest work to date, suggesting solitary, troubled wanderings in dark forests and on stony shores, though some kind of resolution seems to be arrived at towards the end. It's an hypnotic and immersive listen with an organic, nocturnal vibe. The mood is beautifully echoed in the cover painting by Elaine Ní Cuana, aka Sgraffito.

Korperschwache were formed in Austin, Texas in 1995 and consist of human RKF and non-human Doktor Omega. Their discography runs to over 30 titles, including a double-CD collaboration with Dublin's To Blacken The Pages. The band's style is reminiscent of Godflesh / Jesu crossed with the blackened psych of Skullflower, the claustrophobic bleakness of Khanate, and the monolithic noise of Prurient.

Heartwarming Tales from the Good Book is something of a concept work, with the titles referring to some of the nastier Old Testament verses from a time before benevolence was part of the deity's job description. The music itself comes across as representing the grief and despair of the hapless humans suffering God's wrath. It's a varied album, ranging from hypnotic industrial metal, to violent glitch, seething ambience, and minimalist guitar meanderings, and is imbued with a harsh digital sheen that is simultaneously unsettling and exhilarating.

Each copy includes a unique bible page imprinted with the Korperschwache logo and a download code. Numbered edition of 100.